LEGO, the status of women when the first settlers arrived was no better than that of the locals. European society was based upon the total control of old men right up until late last century. The reason Australia did not experience the level of warfare between white settlers and indigenous people as other nations, was because they had no weapons to compete with rifles, no poisonous flour to give the whites, no diseased blankets to give the invaders. They were totally outnumbered and unused to warfare.
According to the news on TV and newspapers, current Australian culture encourages the most appalling violence by men towards women. The murder of women by men is common, ten we know about this year. It's a world wide phenomenon, not restricted to downtrodden races whose lands have been stolen along with their culture, self respect and, in Queensland, even their wages. But you are never going to hear the emancipated white sisterhood admit that they bear some responsibility for making men so angry they're violent. Females are immune from criticism.